FACT SHEET: Fatherlessness In Utah

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Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Utah.

FATHERLESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES

• Approximately 18.4 million bchildren in the U.S. live without a biological father,  stepfather, or adoptive father present in the home.
• 23% of children in the U.S. are raised by a single parent, which is more than three times the world average (7%) of children raised by a single parent and the highest rate of any country on Earth.
• Approximately 41% of children are born to unwed mothers. For women under age 30, the unwed birth rate increases to 53%.
• Fathers are absent in approximately 80% of single-parent homes.
• Fatherless children are more likely to suffer from psychosocial development issues, live in poverty, drop out of school, engage in school violence, abuse substances, and enter the juvenile justice system.

FATHERHOOD AND FAMILY IN UTAH

• 167,000 Utah children, or 18% of all children in Utah, live in single-parent households.
• 8,829 births to unmarried women occurred in Utah in 2020, accounting for 19% of all births in the state that year.
• 1,363 teen births took place in Utah in 2020.
• 2,373 children reside in foster care in Utah.

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN UTAH

• 70% of Utah 4th-graders scored “below proficient” in reading for their class level.
• 58% of Utah 4th-graders scored “below proficient” in mathematics for their class level.
• 28.7% of Utah students are considered “chronically absent” from school.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN UTAH

• 63,010 persons in Utah receive supplemental nutrition assistance.
• 115,000 children in families are receiving public assistance in Utah.
• Approximately 68,900 Utah children live in poverty—8% of all Utah children.